This application relates generally to the field of display devices and more particularly to controlling in-vehicle display devices.
In conventional vehicles, such as cars and trucks, the driver observes the surrounding environment either directly or indirectly using windows or mirrors. Moreover, the driver observes several displays that provide information about the status of the vehicle and the external environment, such as speedometers, odometers, fuel status indicators, and warning/alert lights informing about a collision. These display systems provide information through different types of cues, such as visual images, buzzers, or voice prompts that engage the driver in recommendations and activities.
It is known that the driver observes visual cues through various display screens such as an instrument panel, or a center cluster. The driver may temporarily glance away from the road to read the information appearing on these display due to their locations in the vehicle.
Heads-up-displays (HUDs) can be used to present information to the driver in a manner that allows them to keep their eyes focused on the road. Typically, HUDs project virtual images that are reflected from the windshield or from a combiner mounted on the instrument panel. These virtual images can be viewed with only a small downward glance of the driver's eyes, minimizing the need for the driver to refocus his eyes. One limitation of these displays is that the HUD volume increases rapidly with the desired field-of-view (FOV). Larger HUDs are extremely difficult to package in typical automotive instrument panels. Typical instrument panel configurations limit the HUD horizontal FOV to approximately 15 degrees or less.
In addition to traditional automotive HUDs, a variety of wearable or Head-Mounted displays (HMD) are employed that can present information to the driver over a wide field-of-view. The display elements can be superimposed over the driver's view of the external environment. Wearable displays can take the form of glasses that are attached to the driver's head and project images on the transparent lenses that form the glasses. Since typical HMD implementations would replace most of the conventional gages and displays in the vehicle, HMD displays indicators in the driver's field of vision at all times. This might distract the driver when she is under a high workload (i.e., stressed due to heavy traffic, or in bad weather) given the increasingly complex information available to the driver from vehicle safety systems, infotainment devices, and so on.
It would be highly desirable to have an efficient system that intelligently selects an appropriate display device to present relevant information while maximizing the driver's attention on the road.